The Keeper
by D'oroTavolo
Summary: Sixth Year Charlotte Wood has a lot on her plate this term. Her parents, who both played Gryffindor Quidditch, expect high grades and a good season from her. Can she balance both Quidditch and school while her friends try to play matchmaker?
1. Prologue

Prologue

It was a rather cool day for September. As we pulled up to King's Cross, I saw that it was in its normal state of commotion.

"I knew we should have left sooner, Oliver; it's nearly eleven," My mother said absentmindedly as she opened my car door. I stepped out into the crisp air and stretched a bit while Dad set my trunk on the ground. Felix, my hopelessly dim-witted cat, gave an indignant cry as I pulled his cage out from the back seat.

"Don't worry, Darling," My father comforted, and then locked the car. "Now, stay put. I'm going to get a luggage cart." Mum looked worried, but she nodded nevertheless. Once he had walked off, she turned to face me.

"And you're _sure _you've got everything?" She asked, looking me in the eyes.

"Yes Mum, I've got everything," I answered patiently. She quickly glanced at her watch, and then in the direction Dad went.

"Be sure to write us. We'll be at all of your Quidditch matches this year, I'm sure," Mum said with a mock sigh. Both of us knew how much Dad admired the sport.

"Just make sure he doesn't get too excited," I laughed. If anyone could possibly be too excited at a _Quidditch _match, it was my father. An amused smile crossed my mother's face as she pulled me into a hug.

"Be careful, Charlotte," She said. I stepped back and put my hands on her shoulders.

"You know I will," I replied with a grin. She smiled, but then her expression drooped.

"I can't believe you're going into your sixth year already," my mother said as she stroked my long hair. For a moment, I thought a tear was about to roll down her cheek, but then Felix meowed loudly. I turned to see my father returning quickly with a luggage cart.

As soon as we stepped onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters, excitement came over me. Summer had been dreadfully long and dreadfully boring, and I needed something exciting for a change.

"Alicia, look," I heard Dad say. I followed his gaze, and I saw Mrs. Katie Reynolds intently fixing her small son's dark hair; after racking through my brain, I remembered that she had played Quidditch with my parents when they were in school. As soon as she saw her, Mum weaved through the crowd towards her old friend. I kept pushing my cart through the herds of witches and wizards with Dad right behind me.

"CHARLOTTE _WOOD_!" I heard someone yell at the top of her lungs. I quickly spun around and saw a girl with flaming red hair poking out of a window. Smiling widely, I turned the cart around and ran towards her.

"_Rose!" _I exclaimed as I neared the train car. When I got closer, I realized that Annie was squeezed into the window beside her.

"Are you _deaf, _woman? Here I am, screaming my _head_ off, and you walk by as if I'm some kind of mental case!" Rosie ranted as Dad took my trunk on the train. I shrugged innocently.

"If I hadn't known better, I would have thought you _were _a mental case," I said with a mischievous grin. Annie and I laughed, and Rose couldn't help but smile a bit.

"She's more like her father everyday," Someone sighed from behind us. I immediately recognized the voice as Mrs. Weasley's.

"Mrs. Weasley!" I said as I hugged her tightly.

"Hello, Dear. Good summer?" She asked after pulling away. I answer her with a very annoyed look. "I see. Well, I'm sure school will be more interesting. You better get on board, though; the train will be leaving soon."

"Yes, Ma'am," I answered politely. I then turned to my father, who had somehow managed to find Mum and separate her from Mrs. Reynolds.

"Now, be sure to study hard and turn your homework in on time. Quidditch is important, but don't let it interfere with your grades," Dad lectured, but then gave a quick wink.

"Let us know if you need anything."

"I will, I will," I replied. I gave them both a quick hug, and then boarded the train. I had got on just in time, because just as I walked down to the other end of the car, it slowly lurched into movement. When I walked into our compartment, Rose and Annie both ran at me and gave me the tightest hug I had ever experienced in my life.

"We've missed you so _much_!" they squealed as I returned the embrace.

"I've missed you, too! Summer was un_bearable_, all alone. How about you all? Good holiday?"

"Eh, nothing special," Rose replied. "We helped Grandpa tinker with some muggle stuff, but besides that, it was pretty dull."

"Same here. Though, I dobelieve Cassie's summer was a _tad _more interesting than ours," Annie said with a giggle. Cassandra, who had been engrossed in a book, quickly looked up. Her face was brick red.

"_Really _now?" I questioned in a severely exaggerated tone. Simultaneously, Rose and I slid in next to her.

"Would she like to elaborate on this 'interesting' summer?" Rosie pried in a voice not unlike my own.

"How did you know?" Cassandra whispered loudly to Annie.

"He's my _twin brother_. How could I _not _know?"

At the word "he," Rosie and I both began to squeal like first years.

"I always knew you had something for Andrew! Ever since third year!" Rose exclaimed. She seemed quite pleased with her successful prediction.

"You can't tell _anyone_, understand?" Cassie said sternly. "We didn't want anyone to find out, so he can't know that you heard."

"Oh, a secret romance!" I sigh dramatically, throwing my arms around Cassandra. "You'll be a living Romeo and Juliet!"

All of us were now laughing and going on about how simply wonderful the "secret romance" was. After settling down, though, the inevitable girl train-ride conversation started.

"So, Rosie. Is there anyone in particular you have your eye set on this year?" Annie asked as she opened up a chocolate frog. Rose remained quiet for a moment, obviously thinking, and then shook her head.

"Nope. At least, not yet," She said with a wink, which was returned wit a lot of giggles.

"What about that Scorpius boy?" Cassie asked. "He seems to have a thing for you."

Rose just shuddered at this. "I can't stand him, Cass. You know that."

"You never know, Dear," I said, pitching my voice high. "People change over the summer."

"Yeah, and he's as far from a person as you can get," Rose countered.

"You're just saying that because he likes you. Plus, I think your Dad's talk about Mr. Malfoy has gotten to your head," Annie reasoned. And she was partly right; I had heard Mr. Weasley talk about Mr. Malfoy when I stayed over at Rosie's.

"Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't," Rose said reluctantly. "Either way, I'm not going to be all friendly with him just yet." And with that, she chomped hard into licorice wand.

"What about you, Annie?" Cassandra asked cautiously. She was answered with a roll of the eyes. In her fourth year, Annie had a pretty good relationship with a Hufflepuff named Dresden Lightfoot. Right after that Christmas, though, he broke her heart. She hadn't dated since.

"Well, that leaves you, Charlie," Rose said. "Is there anyone?"

"When I find someone that's worth my time, I'll let you know," I answered with a small laugh. "Right now, I'm just going to focus on school."

"Aw, _you're_ no fun," Annie joked as she shoved me a bit.

"Hey, watch it!" I poked her side, and she squealed loudly. Annie then delivered a hard kick to my shin, and a full out brawl would have ensued if it hadn't been for what happened next.

A group of familiar faces appeared at our compartment door. The gang was unmistakable- the counterpart to our sixth year class.

"May I ask what you lot are doing here?" I asked suspiciously. I couldn't help but look at Andrew, whose gaze was occasionally flicking towards Cassie. It was Luke Fletcher who answered.

"'Our lot' was just going to ask you to quiet down. We're trying to have a civil conversation in our compartment."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" Annie questioned as she stood behind me. "I never pictured you as the _civil_ type."

"Ah. I suppose you're right, Annie dear," Nicholas started as he passed by Luke. He walked right up to her, and I could see that she was uncomfortable- even if Nick was messing around. "I must say, though… Most girls find it charming."

"Nick," Andrew said sternly. Nicholas quickly looked back towards his friends, and then returned to them.

"Well, if that's all, you may leave now," Rose encouraged a bit condescendingly. Luke and Nicholas bowed as they left, and the other three just shook their heads.

"This should be an interesting year," I huffed after they left, and my friends sighed loudly in agreement.

Shortly after the boys had left, I went to change into my school robes. All my friends thought I was being ridiculous for changing so early, but I didn't mind. As I was walking back, though, I ran straight into something. Some_one_, rather- Albus Potter, another member of the sixth year class.

"Charlotte!" He cried out as I ran into him.

"Oh, Albus, I'm really sorry- I should have been watching where I was going-" I began. However, I was cut short.

"No, it's alright," he began to laugh. "People run into me all the time."

"Oh, well… That's a bit strange, actually," I admitted, and he chuckled some more.

"About earlier- I'm sorry. I told them not to annoy you all, but they didn't listen."

"Oh, it's alright," I stuttered slowly. An apology? _What? _ Was he actually being reasonable?

Albus took a deep breath, as if he were relieved, before he spoke. "Good. Well, I guess I'll see you at the feast then."

"Alright," I replied, and then turned to go back to my compartment.

"And Charlotte?" Albus said before I got out of earshot. I turned to him and raised my eyebrow. "Watch where you're going." He flashed a smile, and then started to walk the other way.

As he left, I felt a strange feeling in my chest. I quickly waved it off as shock, since one of the most unruly boys in Hogwarts just apologized for something he was hardly a part of. When I got back to our compartment, though, and when we got off the train, I kept thinking it wasn't just shock. Maybe… respect? I don't know, and I never thought on it long enough to figure it out, but it didn't go away.

Something was different about Albus. I guess people really _did _change over the summer, after all.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"You know, you _could _just ask Professor Binns for help," Rosie suggested. I looked up from my scattered notes with a groan. Here we were, only a week into term, and the first test in History of Magic was tomorrow. Frankly, I'm not too fond of history. Or ghosts, as a matter of fact. So, that automatically made History of Magic my least favorite class of all time. Rose was absolutely brilliant at it, and Annie wasn't awful either, but it just didn't sink in for me.

"I'd rather have tea with Filch, thank you," I grumbled. That awful caretaker was right up there with Professor Binns on my "people to avoid" list. In our third year, Rose got a strange box of peppermints from her Uncle George. He told us that if we ate them, we'd get red and white stripes all over us; so, naturally, we tried to prank someone. As our luck would have it, though, Filch found us and took the candy. I guess he thought they were real, because he plopped one in his mouth after a brief look-over. He looked like a human candy cane for a week, and he still smelled like a breath mint a month later. I must say, it was better than his regular dirt and sweat musk, but he didn't seem to agree.

"That bad, huh," Rose murmured. "Well, let's work on it some more, then." She picked up her neat, color-coordinated flash cards and motioned for me to sit up. "Alright, let's see… where did we leave off?"

"That guy who discovered the uses of Grindylow spit or something." Rose gave me an annoyed look.

"Blood. Ferdinand Dumont discovered ten uses for Grindylow _blood_," she corrected.

"Right, sorry."

"That's okay, we just have to study it. Do you know any of the uses he discovered?"

I thought back to the class when we talked about this Ferdinand guy. He was a wizard originally from Spain, but he traveled to the Amazon for research. Research that originally centered on exotic animals, snakes in particular. Until…

"Grindylow blood can neutralize the effects of almost any snake venom. It works best on neurotoxins, though."

"Good!" Rosie looked sincerely impressed. "Any others?"

I continued to go through that lesson in my head. A snake that Dumont had been observing bit him, and he grabbed for a bottle of antivenin. Instead of grabbing the antivenin, though, he grabbed a syringe of Grindylow blood, which was normally used to sedate animals.

"Animal sedation… It slows their muscles down." Rosie nodded approvingly.

Dumont didn't realize he was injecting himself with Grindylow blood until it was too late; the syringe was empty. He put his lips to the punctured skin and tried sucking it out, but the blood was already spreading out into his body. He waited silently for any bad symptoms, but nothing happened. Shortly after, he felt the pain from the bite vanish. Dumont couldn't believe it. He waited for several hours for any other symptoms, but they didn't come. He had thought Grindylow blood was only useful for animal sedation, but after this discovery, he returned to Spain to research the blood more.

"When diluted with water and consumed, it briefly improves your vision. That makes it good for Aurors. It's prohibited from Quidditch players, though."

"You're doing great!" Rose exclaimed.

But then my mind hit a brick wall. With dread, I remembered that at that point in class, I had started passing notes with Cassandra. It was stupid- completely irrelevant. I probably missed thirty minutes of the lecture. Then I remembered looking up, only to see Potter staring straight at me. He gave me a wry look, and then subtly wagged his finger. It was like he was saying, "Now, now, Charlotte" or, "Be a good girl, Charlotte." I could feel my cheeks turning red, no matter how much I willed them not to. I stuck my tongue out, hoping to hide my embarrassment, but I know it didn't work. I didn't pay attention the rest of class, and now I had no clue what the other eight uses of Grindylow blood were. Wonderful.

"Rosie, I don't know anymore," I said sadly as I turned the fireplace. The common room was empty besides us; everyone else was enjoying the fall weather. Felix jumped into my lap, his reddish fur tickling my hands.

"Well then we're going to study until you understand this. You aren't failing the first test of the year, Charlie. Not if I have anything to do with it."

I smiled weakly in response to her confidence. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Ready for that test, Wood?" Jordan Harvey asked over his giant plate of eggs and bacon. I wasn't even looking at him, and I could tell he was grinning. When it came to History of Magic, he was nearly as good as Rosie. That was _definitely _saying something.

Before I got to answer, Jordan made a small whimpering sound. I guessed that Annie, who was sitting next to me, had stomped his foot pretty hard.

"She wasn't the only one studying like mad last night," Luke said as he poured some orange juice into his goblet. "Nick stayed up until three o'clock. He wouldn't stop mumbling about the Seven Witches of the Spanish Court; I didn't think he'd ever go to bed. You don't have to worry, though! My Uncle flunked out early, and he still has a stable job as a janitor at the Ministry!" he added with a mischievous look.

"_Thank_ you, Luke. That's unbelievably reassuring," I said, not without sarcasm.

"You'll do fine, Charlie. As much as you studied, you'll ace it for sure," Cassandra comforted. I looked up and smiled, partly in thanks, and partly because of the fact she was sitting next to Andrew. They really were a cute couple.

"I think I'm ready," I said quietly. I made myself eat a few pieces of sausage, but besides that, my stomach wouldn't accept anything. I didn't know why I was so nervous for this one test… It was the beginning of term, so it's not like it mattered that much. It seemed Rosie was too, though; everyone knew she was going to ace the test, yet here she was studying her color-coordinated flashcards. I had to admire her determination.

After we finished breakfast, our silverware vanished, and it was time to head over to History of Magic. We took it with the Hufflepuff sixth years, so a mob of maroon and yellow made its way to Professor Binns' classroom.

"Alright, settle down," Professor Binns said in his eerie voice. I took my seat next to Rosie, who gave me an encouraging smile. I absentmindedly glanced at Albus and Jordan; they seemed completely carefree. The boys probably didn't study more than five minutes, and they'd pass for sure. Albus noticed me staring, but instead of looking away, he mouthed the words _good luck_. I smiled, and mouthed back _you too_.

He had been acting so _friendly _lately. I didn't think about it anymore, though, because a long piece of parchment appeared on my desk.

"You have an hour to finish the test. I assume you all have enough quills and ink?" He was answered by silence. "Very well. You may begin."

As soon as the test was over, Rosie came down on my like a vulture.

"How did you do?" She asked eagerly.

"I think I _actually _did alright!" I exclaimed. She squealed and hugged me.

"I knew you'd be okay! Just, for next time, pay attention during class. That would prevent a lot of undue stress."

" But Rosie dear, what's life without undue stress?" I asked with a grin. She didn't think it was funny.

"Well, that was a lot easier than I was expecting," Annie said once we met up. "Have you seen Cassie around?"

"Not since before the test, no," I answered. "She's probably off with Andrew, I imagine."

"Eh, you're probably right. I guess they're actually trying to keep this quiet." Annie replied.

Transfiguration with the Slytherins was next. We had assigned seats, and Professor McGonagall had the brilliant idea of putting Gryfinndors by Slytherins to keep the talking to a minimum. I was next to Delilah Colburn, a short girl with wavy black hair and a pinched face. She didn't talk much, and she was fairly good at transfiguration, so I didn't have any complaints. My heart went out to Annie, though; she was next to a greasy womanizer named Gregory Hanke. She must have given him a long, hard talk about boundaries, though, because he was as far away from her as possible. It was sort of funny, how Annie could be so fun around us, but then flat out intimidating around boys.

Rosie was next to Scorpius Malfoy, her supposed secret admirer. He seemed to be keeping his distance, though. Scorpius was always quiet and reserved, but more so around his partner.

The entire class period, we tried to change an apple into a peach. I must admit, Delilah and I came pretty close; our final product was a peach filled with apple seeds rather than a hard pit. I looked over at Rosie's desk, and both students had perfect peaches cut into equal little slices in front of them. Their work was amazing, of course, but I was satisfied with my interesting fruit.

"I just don't have a good feeling about him, Cass," Rose huffed after class as Cassandra questioned her about Malfoy. We still didn't know where she went in between classes, but she was somehow at Transfiguration on time.

"Just… Don't burn that bridge yet, okay? Something might work out for you two!" Cassie bubbled. Rose just rolled her eyes.

"Is this _all _you ever think about? Boys?" she asked honestly.

"_Cute _boys," Cassie giggled, and Annie and I couldn't help snickering a bit.

"Hey, Charlotte," someone called. We looked over, and Jordan and Albus were walking past. The voice belonged to Potter. "Don't forget, Quidditch tomorrow. Three o'clock sharp, or my brother will have your head."

"Right, okay. Thanks, Albus," I replied. I had hardly given any thought to Quidditch since classes started.

"Oh, I forgot all _about _that!" Annie cried miserably. So, turns out I wasn't the only one who hadn't been getting ready. Tomorrow's first practice would definitely be an interesting one.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

I quickly glanced at the clock that hung on our dorm wall- _2:47 P.M. _There was _no_ way we were going to make it to practice on time. Herbology had run late thanks to Professor Longbottom, and now Annie and I were hurriedly pulling on our Quidditch gear.

"We're never going to make it," Annie moaned as she strapped on her arm guards.

"If we leave now, we _might _have a chance," I said, trying to convince myself as well. I grabbed my Comet Three Thirty and ran out of the dormitory with Annie trailing right behind.

Our common room is easily the furthest from the Quidditch pitch. By the time we got outside, we were nearly out of breath; it had to be at least two fifty-five. In a last ditch effort, I jumped on my broom and flew the rest of the way to the stadium. Annie was next to me right within seconds on her brand new Thunderbolt. I still wasn't used to the speed of her new broom; until the end of last year, she and her brother had ridden some ancient Firebolt Twos. They were good Chasers before, but now they were unstoppable with their matching equipment.

I wasn't surprised to see most of the team already on the pitch as we flew over.

"Thank Merlin," Annie sighed as we descended. "Practice hasn't started."

She was right; the rest of the team was there, but they were cutting up as usual.

"Cutting it close, aren't we ladies?" a voice said condescendingly once we set our feet on the ground. I whipped around and saw Jordan Harvey shaking his head at us. I didn't even waste the breath to respond; I just rolled my eyes. Annie, of course, had something to say.

"Oh, shut _up_," she muttered. "Honestly, do you ever _think _before talking? We're here, aren't we?"

"Settle down, Finnegan. Just a question," Jordan said jokingly. Annie was about to spout off again, but I gave her a quick jab in the side. I got an angry look, but nevertheless, she kept quiet.

"Alright, everyone," our Captain yelled. "Come on, we haven't got all day."

At the sound of his voice, the team quieted down. James took few things seriously, and Quidditch was definitelyone of those things. There was no goofing off at any of _his _practices

"As you know, we held tryouts at the end of _last_ term to give us more practice time _this_ term," he reminded. "However, that doesn't mean I can't replace you in a pinch. There are several others who would be glad to take your place."

Potter could say that as much as he wanted, but there was no doubt about it- he had the best Quidditch team he could ask for. You could see that by just looking at our names; almost all of our parents played Gryffindor Quidditch in their day. The three Potters made the team easily. They all flew incredibly, but Albus had the best build for a Seeker. James and Jordan Harvey (Son of Angelina Johnson) were Beaters, and Lily Potter was a Chaser with the Finnegan twins. And I was the Keeper, just like my father was years ago. They could just hand us the Quidditch Cup right now.

"Chasers, go with Charlie and warm up passing. Once you're warm, work on three man drives. Albus, come with Jordan and I. We need to work on aim, and you need to work on… Evasion," James ordered with a twinkle in his eye. Albus rolled his eyes. The Captain then opened the Quidditch chest and handed me the Quaffle. With that, the Chasers and I flew towards the goal posts to our left.

We first worked on stationary passes, both clockwise and counter clockwise. Then we would pass the Quaffle to the side of our partner, so that they had to fly for it. Lastly, I took my place at the goal posts as the Chasers zipped around tossing the Quaffle back and forth. My gaze wandered across the pitch; James and Jordan were hitting Bludgers back and forth, while Albus was warming up with some nosedives. Every time, he got closer to the ground before he'd pull up. I could already see him waiting too long and breaking his neck.

"Charlotte!" Lily shouted. I quickly jerked my head up and realized that I had zoned out, staring at the other side of the field.

"Sorry," I muttered. "Are you all ready to start?"

"Are _you?_" Annie asked with a suspicious grin. Andrew raised an eyebrow as well.

"Yeah, come on," I said casually, as if there was nothing wrong. There _was _nothing wrong, my friends were just being… weird.

"If you say so," Annie called in a singsong voice. "Okay, huddle up, Chasers."

Annie, Lily and Andrew joined together at midfield and made some kind of game plan, I suppose. Then they broke apart looking rather confident.

"Alright! Formation One!" Annie yelled out. The three Chasers made a triangle formation- Annie on the left, Andrew on the right, and Lily dead center with the Quaffle. Once they advanced, the triangle expanded. Now the trio was passing to Quaffle back and forth. When the Chasers got within shooting range, Andrew had possession; I anticipated that he would go for the left-most hoop. He reared back to shoot, released… But the Quaffle went to his right, towards Lily. She was ready for it, as she pounded it towards the right-most goal with her fist. I quickly bent down against my Comet Three Thirty, making myself into a human bullet. It would be close.

I lunged out of my crouched state, stretched out my arm… and the Quaffle stopped in its path. By instinct, I quickly pulled it against my body, insuring that it would go nowhere near the goal.

"I thought you said you hadn't practiced," Annie grunted. I flashed her a grin.

"I haven't," I piped, and then tossed the Quaffle back. "Next play!"

Annie sighed and shook her head, and I could help feeling a little bit of satisfaction. It felt good to be back on the pitch.

* * *

"Good job today, team," James said once we finished practice. Everyone was worn out, and Albus was holding an ice pack on his shoulder; Jordan had managed to finally land a Bludger on him. "Our fist match -Ravenclaw- is in three weeks. We're practicing three days this week and next. The week before the match, we're practicing everyday." Lily let out a sigh, but after a stern look from her brother, she unwillingly perked up. "Be sure to finish your homework _before_ practices so that you can get some sleep. We need everyone to be healthy. Understand?" He was answered with a wave of nods. "Alright. Shower up and head back to the castle."

With that, we made our way to the locker rooms. The boys were sprinting to theirs; apparently, some of the showers were_ safer _than others. At the end of last term, the Ravenclaw Seventh Years hexed four of the seven showers in the boys' locker room. The hexed showers shot out dye that left you bronze and blue for a week. A few unlucky Slytherins discovered _that _last Tuesday after their Quidditch practice. Three safe showers and four sweaty Gryffindors… That was definitely going to be a showdown.

"Good practice, Char," Annie said as we walked into the girls' shower room.

"Thanks. You too," I replied, opening my locker.

"You did pretty good too, Potter," Annie said, lightly punching Lily in the arm.

"Hey, watch it," she mock protested with a grin.

"Yeah she did! Lily's the youngest on the team, and she nearly outplayed _you_, Annie," I said dryly, already predicting her reaction.

"Watch it, Wood," Annie muttered. "I've got dirt on you_._"

"What are you talking about?" I ask in a more serious tone.

"_I _know what she's talking about," Lily said proudly.

"Come _on_, Charlie, we figured it out! The charade's over!" All I could reply with was a confused look. Annie pinched the bridge of her nose. "We saw you making eyes at him."

_Him._ My mind automatically went to Albus. But, there was nothing... We've hardly talked at all before this term.

"Him?" I ask, trying to make my face as emotionless as possible.

Lily looked as if she couldn't hold it in anymore. "_Jordan!" _she squealed loudly. I internally let out a sigh of relief.

"Admit it, Charlie! You were goggling over him before we started three man drives!" Annie spurted.

"No, no, it wasn't-" I paused for half a second, barely stopping myself from mentioning Albus. "You're both mad. I wasn't starting at anyone," I replied as I stepped into one of the showers and undressed.

"Of course. And Andrew isn't really my twin brother," Annie said, her words dripping with sarcasm. "You're a terrible liar!"

"Not listening!" I laughed as I turned on the water. I could hear Lily laugh, and I knew that Annie was probably seething. "Love you!" I yelled over the noise of the shower.

* * *

By the time I walked out of the locker room, it was starting to get dark; Annie and Lily had already headed back to the castle. I would have gone with them, but I have a weakness for long showers. I was walking up the hillside towards the school when I was stopped.

"Hey, Wood! Wait up!" someone yelled. I turned around and saw –you guessed it- Albus Potter. I obediently stopped and waited for the Seeker. His dark hair was still a bit wet from the shower, making it look black. He had been running, and was panting slightly when he reached me. "You did good today, Keeper."

I couldn't resist grinning. "You think so?" I asked, having no idea how he'd reply.

"Of course," he said, grinning himself. "I saw that great catch."

"Which one?" I said with a bit of sarcasm, and he laughed. It wasn't a deep laugh like his brother's; it was more playful and light, and I loved it. It was refreshing.

"Now that I _think _about it…" Albus paused, tapping his chin and looking up to the sky. "All of them!" he replied playfully. A flutter of excitement rose up in my chest. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, silently asking if he was serious. Then my eyes wandered to his hurt shoulder.

"Does it hurt badly? Your shoulder?" I asked as I carefully touched the injury. He didn't answer, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were trained on me.

"It's not that bad. Just a bruise," he said without moving his gaze. I could feel my cheeks heating up, so I looked away.

"Well, come on then, tough guy," I said teasingly as I began walking again. "They're going to wonder where we are."

After a few moments, Potter caught up and fell into step with me. We walked all the way up to the common room together, talking and laughing. When I crawled in bed that night, I couldn't sleep at all. After dwelling on it for hours, I finally admitted something I knew to be true since the train ride here- I was beginning to fall for Albus Potter.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello, readers! D'oro here! First of all, let me say YAY for quick updates! :D Haha, I usually don't update this fast, but since I was in the mood, I went ahead and wrote the next chapter! Woohoo! Hopefully I can keep up this quick updating, but I can't make any promises. Anyway, with that aside, I hope you enjoy this next chapter of _The Keeper_!**

**Chapter Three**

"Why is _she _pouting?" Rose asked, nodding towards Annie. She was propping her head up with one hand and lazily stirring her cereal with the other. The expression on her face was priceless.

"Probably because she wrongly predicted my love life," I said nonchalantly, grabbing the orange juice. "That's just a guess, though."

"I know I'm right," Annie grumbled into her cereal bowl. Lily, who was sitting next to her, patted her back sympathetically.

"What _are _you two going on about?" Rose asked. She had been out late last night tutoring some desperate Second Years, so we never got to explain what went down in the locker room.

"Annie and Lily are under the false impression that I, Charlotte Wood, have a _thing _for Jordan," I explained, rolling my eyes. "They're mental."

"Hey! If you had seen _me _staring at him like that, you would have said the same thing!" Annie defended, this time looking up from her breakfast.

"You looked pretty convincing, Char," Lily supported.

"I _zoned out_! I just happened to be looking in that direction! Really, you're making a big deal out of nothing!" This was starting to get annoying.

"I think I have to side with Charlie on this one," Rose said after registering the situation. "She's never been particularly fond of Jordan."

"You weren't even _at practice_, Rose! You didn't see what we're talking about! And if you _did_, you would agree with us," Annie tried to convince. Rose just shook her head.

"I don't think so. Charlotte's usually pretty honest about this kind of thing," Rose answered. A tiny wave of guilt passed over me, since I hadn't told them about Albus… But they would learn eventually.

"_Thank _you!" I said enthusiastically, grasping Rosie's shoulder. "Finally, someone right in the head!"

"Whatever," Annie muttered towards the table. I figured this little mood of hers would pass throughout the day. She wasn't a morning person, so we were used to these interesting breakfast conversations.

Our plates vanished, which meant it was time to go to the worst class of the day- History of Magic. I really wish the Professors had scheduled the classes a bit differently; by having History of Magic first, I would be in a bad mood for the next two or three hours.

"Oh _no_," I whispered as we were walking to Professor Binn's classroom.

"What is it?" Cassie asked. I just now realized that she hadn't been sitting with us at breakfast. I didn't see her with the boys, either… She must have been sitting with her younger brother, a third year Gryffindor.

"I've left my history book in the dorm," I moaned with dread. Cassie's eyes filled with sympathy. Going back to Gryffindor tower was out of the question; it would take way too long.

"You could probably run to the library and check one out," she suggested. That had to be my best bet. I nodded quickly, and then ran towards the library. Thank Merlin it was relatively close to Professor Binns' room.

I tried my best to keep quiet in the library, but one can only be so quiet while madly looking for a history book. I didn't even bother searching the aisles; I went straight to the librarian, Professor Kidwell.

"Professor, I need a copy of_ The Origins of Magical Society_," I huffed. She just raised an eyebrow. "_Please_, Professor! This is urgent!"

Professor Kidwell sighed, but nevertheless waved her wand. The book appeared on her desk, and I grabbed it right away; I had no time to spare.

"Two weeks, Wood! And not a _scratch _on that cover, you understand?" she yelled as I was leaving.

"Yes, Ma'am! Thank you!" I shout without even turning around. I was already sprinting out of the library.

When I burst through the door, everyone was already seated, and they were all staring at me. Wonderful.

"Ah, Ms. Wood," Professor Binns sighed in his ghostly manner. "You're late."

A million sarcastic remarks flew though my head, but I didn't spout off any of them. That would just give me a one-way ticket to detention with Filtch_, _and we all know how _that _would go.

The only thing I said was, "Sorry, Professor," and then I went to find a seat. I immediately looked for Rose, but she was already sitting next to Annie. Cassandra was next to Andrew, which I already expected. Thank _Merlin _Jordan was sitting next to some Hufflepuff girl, or I would have to put up with the matchmakers again. I absentmindedly looked for Albus, and my heart fell when I saw he was already sitting by Luke.

"I believe there is an empty seat by Mr. Brighton, Ms. Wood," Professor Binns said, seeing that I still hadn't found a place to sit.

"Thanks," I muttered as I half-heartedly walked to my seat, which was close to the back of the room. As soon as I sat down, the class continued.

"Where have _you _been?" Nick whispered when I sat down. I pulled out a quill and some parchment before answering him.

"I left my book up in the common room." I said, and then looked over at Nick's parchment to see what I missed. He didn't have much written down, which meant one of two things: They hadn't gone over much yet, or Nick was being lazy in his note taking. I suspected the latter.

"Well then how'd you get it?" Nick asked, nodding towards the book.

"It's not mine. I got it from the Library before class," I answered triumphantly, and Nick's eyebrows went up.

"Impressive."

"I try," I added wryly before writing down the notes Professor Binns had written on the board. At least, it _looked _like he wrote them. I'm not convinced that a ghost can physically write something on a chalkboard. That's just me, though.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone trying to get my attention. I turned to look, and it was Rosie. _Where were you? _She mouthed across the room. I mouthed back the word, _Later. _She sighed, but turned back to Professor Binns nevertheless.

I quickly glanced at Albus, who was taking notes. A moment later, though, he looked up and saw me staring. He gave a playful smile, and then winked at me. A grin spread across my face, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of it. My mind was at war; the sensible half of me said I needed to pay attention, and the other, less-sensible (yet more prevalent) half of me wanted to stare at Albus for the rest of class. As much as I hated it, I chose the "mature" decision and listened to Professor Binns. It was then that I decided maturity was overrated.

* * *

"Care to explain yourself?" Rose interrogated once class was over. She sounded strangely like my mother.

"I left my history book in the common room last night. I had to check out a copy from the Library," I told her. She shook her head condescendingly.

"Strike one, Charlotte. Strike three, and I cut off all connections with Jordan," Rose replied. I laughed, assuming she was only kidding, but she wasn't smiling at all.

"Oh no," I said under my breath. "Annie's gotten to you, hasn't she?"

"No one has 'gotten to me,' Charlie. She just pointed out some facts that I hadn't noticed before, so I'm going to keep my eye on you!"

"I can't believe this!" I groaned, putting my hands on my forehead. This was going _way _too far. "Hold on a second, I'll be right back."

It took me a moment, but after winding through the crowd a bit, I found Annie. As soon as she saw me, her eyes grew to the size of a house elf's, like she knew she was in trouble. She tried to get away, but once she was within reach, I grabbed the back of her robes.

"Anne Finnegan, you turn around _right now,_" I ordered sternly. _Now _I_ sound like my mother,_ I thought to slowly turned around, but to my surprise, she was trying to stifle a laugh. "What did you say to brainwash Rose? She's starting to take your side in this whole Jordan mess."

"I just told her a _few _things that I've noticed over the past days. She deserved to know!" Annie tried to convince. She still looked like she was about to laugh. "You know it's true, Charlotte!" All I could reply with is a frustrated groan.

"Come with me. We're going to settle this once and for all."

It wasn't hard to find Rose again; she was looking over her transfiguration notes right where I left her.

"Listen, you two. I don't have time to explain now, but tonight in the dorm, we're ending this confusion about Jordan. From now until then, neither of you say another word about it, understand?"

They both nodded slowly, but neither of them looked defeated as I thought they would.

"Alright! Can't wait!" Annie said with a mischievous smile.

"Finally," I sighed as we started to walk to Transfiguration. "I thought you would never come around."

"Never underestimate a Finnegan, Dear," She said with a giggle. I was about to reply with a sarcastic comment, but someone grabbed my arm. I stopped abruptly and whipped around, but I grinned widely when I saw who it was.

"Skipping class? Naughty, naughty," Albus said, waving his finger. It made me want to squeal.

"What can I say? I'm rotten," I replied dryly.

"Ah, I should have known," he sighed. "I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you, then. Keep you out of trouble."

_Yes, please._ Of course, I didn't actually say that. I just raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, since you're such the upstanding student. That's very chivalrous of you, Albus."

"Why thank you, Madam," he said in quite a formal tone. "May I carry your books?" He asked. I was caught off guard by his sudden request, so I didn't know how to reply. "Carrying those books for you would be 'very chivalrous,' right?" he whispered loudly, coming out of his formal character. I couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Yes, Sir, you may carry my books," I answered in his formal tone, handing him my book bag. He took it and ceremoniously hung it over his shoulder.

I turned back to my friends to make up some excuse for this, but they were far ahead, now linked arm in arm. Relief washed over me; if they had seen what happened, I would never hear the end of this. I thought I had gone unnoticed, but right before I turned to face Albus again, Rosie looked back and winked at me.

_Oh, Merlin…_

Tonight was going to be a long night.

**A/N: So? Did you love it? Hate it? Either way, leave a review! Reviews are my biggest motivators, so you know what that means! More quick updates! ;D I will hopefully see you all soon!**

**- D'oroTavolo**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/n: Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for all the encouraging and helpful reviews! I really hope I can continue making these frequent updates. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

**Chapter Four**

Despite the cozy aura of the common room, I was still anxious. Annie, Lily, Cassandra, and Rose had been in our dorm for nearly half an hour now. They had ordered me to stay out here, so I had no idea what they were up to. Whatever it was, though, they had been planning it all day.

The first thing that raised my suspicion was the fact that noneof them mentioned _any _boy after my little incident with Albus. Annie didn't even bring up Jordan. Then, after lunch, I spotted Rose and Lily whispering outside the Potions classroom. Rose told me that she was just giving Lily some pointers for a Potions exam, but I didn't buy it for a second. Did they _really _think I was that thick?

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter. I looked up, and Annie's head was poking out of our dormitory.

"We're ready for you, Dear," she said quickly, and then shut the door. I cautiously stood up from the couch in front of the fire, not knowing what to expect. There could be _anything _behind that door; for all I knew, they could be torturing my poor cat. I doubted it, but by the way my friends had been acting, I started to second-guess myself.

I paused before I opened the door, wondering if I should just turn and run. I decide against it, however; this little meeting _was _my idea, after all. I twisted the knob, bracing myself for any sudden hexes or jinxes. They didn't come. I slowly opened the door, seeing if anyone was even in the room. To my complete surprise, my friends were calmly eating treats and making civil conversation. Rose was the first to acknowledge me.

"Charlotte!" she exclaimed with a wry smile. "Come, sit down!" She gestured for me to sit at the end of her bed. After a moment's hesitation, I slowly walked over and sat next to her. Cassandra and Annie were sitting on the bed across from us; Lily was lying between the two beds, nibbling on a chocolate frog. I silently told myself not to eat any of their snacks. With Rosie's brains and Annie's cunning, they could hex any of this food and I wouldn't know it at all.

"Was dinner any good?" Lily asked. They had been up here since Herbology, so they weren't able to come down to the Great Hall.

"Fine," I answered shortly. I wasn't about to tell them what actually happened. Nick, Jordan and Andrew had received detention from Professor Hagrid (they didn't think that teasing the blast ended skrewts would get them in trouble). I don't know where Luke went, but Albus surprised me by joining me for dinner.

"Here," Annie said, holding something out to me. "We thought you might like these."

I was about to refuse Annie's offer, but then I saw what she had in her hand- an unopened pack of peppermint humbugs. I should have seen this coming; there was no candy I loved more than mint humbugs. The box hadn't been tampered with, and eating just a few wouldn't hurt anybody.

"Thanks," I replied, grabbing the box from Annie. I slowly opened the box and plopped a candy in my mouth, waiting for a reaction. To my surprise, nothing happened.

"You know, I thought you all had hexed these," I said sheepishly. Annie laughed, and Rose just shook her head.

"Always expecting the worst, Charlie," Rosie sighed. I decided that the food was fine, so I ate some chocolate and pastries, too. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be so bad after all!

"Is there anything to drink in here? Pumpkin Pasties always make me thirsty," Lily said, rubbing her throat.

"I have some Pumpkin Juice over here; let me grab it," Cassie answered as she crawled off the bed.

"Could you get me some as well?" I asked.

"Of course!" Cassandra replied enthusiastically. She grabbed two bottles of Pumpkin Juice and gave them to Lily and I.

I had let my guard down. When I took the first sip of my beverage, Annie's eyes twinkled. I tried to spit the juice out, but it was too late. Lily let out a giggle, and Rose was smiling triumphantly. However, Cassie looked miserable.

"They put me up to it, Charlie! It wasn't my idea!" she said in a pitiful voice. In our fourth year, we found a vial of Veritaserum and used it to play Truth or Dare. I could already feel the familiar potion coursing through my veins.

"When you're with us, Char, you probably _should _expect the worst," Annie teased. I couldn't believe they had tricked me into this.

"Charlotte Andrea Wood," Rose proceeded slowly.

"Do you have the hots for anyone?" Lily burst out. She couldn't wait on Rose's slow pace. Rose gave her an annoyed look, but then turned to me for an answer.

Every part of me wanted to keep silent. I pursed my lips together as tight as I could, but I stood no chance to this powerful truth serum. "Yes," I blurted out shortly. I felt my face heat up, and Annie and Lily squealed. "You're all awful," I muttered through my teeth, but no one seemed to take offence.

"Is it Jordan? Are you fond of Jordan Harvey?" Rosie asked next. This time, I managed to stay quiet; however, my head shook "no" on it's own accord.

All of my so-called friends were now looking at me expectantly, waiting for the truth. Annie was the one who asked the question.

"Who is it, then?" I bit my tongue so hard that it started to bleed, but it was in vain.

"Albus Potter," I let out, and then put my hands over my mouth. When I looked up, Annie and Rose wore the same victorious grin. Lily's eyes grew wide, and Cassandra was simply ecstatic.

"What did I tell you, Annie? I'm always right," Rose said in an I-told-you-so voice.

"What are you talking about? I knew the whole time," Annie defended. Rose just rolled her eyes, but my jaw dropped to the floor.

"You mean all of the Jordan mess was a ruse? You never thought I liked him?" I groaned.

"I _used _to think you liked him… Up until History of Magic. That's when Rose explained it all," Annie said.

"Explained what?" I asked, still frustrated over this whole plot.

"She told me who you _really _liked, and then she planned this," Annie told me. Everything was lining up, now.

"So I'm guessing Lily and Rose weren't really studying outside the Potions room," I muttered.

"Nope!" Lily piped up. She seemed rather proud to be caught up in this. "She was telling me the best way to brew Veritaserum!"

"_And _I told you where Professor Slughorn kept his own stash. I believe that came in more handy than the recipe," Rose enlightened as Lily's face turned red.

"My Veritaserum would have worked fine, I just wanted to be safe and use the Professor's!" Lily exclaimed.

"Lils, we all know you're dead-awful at Potions. Give it up," Annie said plainly.

"Whatever," she muttered, but she couldn't stay angry for long.

"Rosie, how did you know?" I asked after letting everything sink in.

"How did I _know_?" she repeated. "You're my best friend. How could I _not _know?" Rose answered wryly. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Char. He's falling for you; I've known that since beginning of term. It didn't take long for you to fall for _him_, either," she explained.

"_I_ think you and Al will make a lovely couple," Lily sighed. Well, at least I have her approval. I can't help but smile at her comment.

"You think?" I asked quietly. I could choose to be mad the rest of the night, but what fun would _that _be? Might as well play along.

"Of _course_! You're perfect for each other!" Annie exclaimed.

"She's right," Cassie added in. "I think you're very compatible."

"Well I'm glad you all think so, but we aren't a couple yet," I reminded them.

"Just be patient," Rose said.

"You know I can't be patient," I whined in an exasperated tone.

"I know you can't," she huffed. "But this time, you're going to have to try extra hard, understand?"

"Yes, Mother," I said teasingly. I don't know where he was before, but Felix then hopped onto the bed and sat quietly in my lap.

"Albus and Charlotte," Annie sighed. "It has a ring to it, doesn't it?"

Lily nodded excitedly. "This is going to be so much fun!" she squealed.

"But you can't speak a word of this to Albus _or _James, understand?" Cassie ordered.

"Don't tell Hugo, either. He never keeps his mouth shut," Rosie suggested as Lily nodded vigorously.

"I promise! I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Janice!" Lily exclaimed. That was really saying something; Janice Locke was her best friend, with whom she shared everything. Well, _almost _everything.

"First Cassie, now Char… Rose, you know what that means," Annie reasoned. "You're next in line."

"And why not _you, _may I ask?" Rose said.

"Hm, let's see. Because I don't have a cute Slytherin hot on my trail!" she explained. Here brutal honesty caused all of us to snicker.

"Give it up, Finnegan! If you say anything else about him, I'll hex you in your sleep!" Rose snapped back. This was going to be interesting.

"Oh, I'm _so_ scared," Annie said, her words dripping with sarcasm. We were all laughing now. Even Rose had a small grin on her face, but she grabbed her huge down pillow and hurled it at Annie nevertheless.

"_Now _you've done it," Annie countered, grabbing her own pillow and throwing it at Rose. A huge pillow fight then ensued, which resulted in a shower of feathers and a very angry cat. After repairing the pillows and coaxing Felix out from under my bed, we finally decided to settle down.

"Alright, you lot," Annie started, crawling under the covers. "I expect you to watch my back. I don't want to wake up with jelly legs." Her words were obviously directed to Rose, who shrugged innocently.

"Good night! See you in the morning!" Lily said, leaving our dorm. I crawled into bed, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep. Not with what Rose said earlier this evening.

_I've seen the way he looks at you, Char. He's falling for you; I've known that since the beginning of term. _I kept playing that over and over in my head.

_ He's falling for you; I've known that since the beginning of term. _Nope, I wasn't getting a wink of sleep tonight.

_ He's falling for you._


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Lily, relax," I cooed in a reassuring tone. The poor girl looked as if she were about to vomit.

"Relax? How can I _relax?_" she whined desperately, her eyes growing huge. "Our first match starts in an hour, and my parents are coming to watch us. Relaxing is _not _an _option_!" Janice patted Lily on the back sympathetically and offered her some bacon, but she hardly noticed the gesture.

"Lils, you have to eat something," Annie encouraged.

"But what if it makes me sick-"

"Lily," I interrupted forcefully. She stopped mid-sentence and stared at me with pitiful eyes. "Lily Potter. You know what you're doing. You've been on a broom since you could say 'Quidditch,' and you've been practicing harder than I _ever _did as a fourth year. You'll be fine." The tension in Lily's shoulders relaxed a bit, but it was still there.

"But what if I'm not?" She asked quietly. I almost couldn't hear her over the buzz in the Great Hall.

"It's just a game, Lils," I explained. "It's not life or death. Now, you had better eat something, or Annie will shove it down your throat." I said with a wink. Lily giggled lightly as she pushed her food around on her plate.

"She isn't joking," Annie said in a serious tone. Lily's eyes grew a bit wider, and she slowly began to eat her breakfast. Annie kept a suspicious eye on her the whole time.

"Alright, team," James said as he walked over. Jordan, Andrew and Albus were behind him. "It's about time we kick some Claws."

"It's about time you get rid of your corny catch phrases," Annie muttered loudly as she rose from the table. The Captain clenched his fists, but the boys behind him were hiding snickers.

"You had better hope I don't get rid of _you_, Finnegan," he replied smoothly.

"Alright, point taken," Annie surrendered, holding her hands up. James grinned proudly and turned on the spot.

"To the pitch, then," he said as he began walking, waving for us to join him.

"Good luck!" Rose and the other girls cheered as we left. They (along with the rest of Gryffindor) were decked out in maroon and gold. Some Slytherins booed us, but I turned around and flashed them a grin. They were going to regret that.

I fell into step with Lily as we walked through the giant castle doors. "If it makes you feel better, you look great in your Quidditch robes," I said. She whipped around towards me, eyes twinkling. I laughed and put my arm around her. "The only thing that's better than winning is looking good while your doing it. I think you've got that part down, Potter." Lily grinned widely, and I could tell her nerves were gone for the most part.

"Come on, let's go 'kick some Claws,'" she mimicked sarcastically.

My nerves began to set in just before we walked out of the locker rooms. Mum and Dad were coming to watch as well, so I was feeling a little pressure.

"Nervous, huh?" a voice said from beside me. I didn't even have to look to identify the source.

"I never said I was nervous," I murmur back to Albus, clenching my broom tightly.

"It's okay," he replied, ignoring my comment. "I'm nervous, too."

"But of course, you're going to do great. You always do."

"At least you don't have to impress the saviors of the wizarding world," he let out. At this I turned to him, and I saw that he really was worried.

"You're going to do great, Potter," I encouraged. He turned to look at me, and then slowly grinned. Merlin, he was adorable.

"You too, Wood," he replied, punching me lightly on the shoulder. Before I could punch him back, the doors to the pitch opened up.

"Alright. Let's leave a good impression, shall we?" James said before leading us out onto the pitch. As we walked out, we were greeted by deafening cheers. Ravenclaw was walking out across from us in there blue robes. I took my place in front of the goal posts, and the rest of the team circled midfield. Luke was the Gryffindor commentator, and his voice began to boom across the stadium.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! I hope you're all ready for an exciting day, because today, Gryffindor takes on Ravenclaw in the first match of the season!"

Luke continued on, but I tuned him out. I tuned everything out. I watched the middle of the field like a hawk. Somewhere my father was sitting with bated breath, ready to watch me make him proud. The referee tossed up the quaffle, and the game began.

Not even a second into the game, Lily zoomed up and grabbed the quaffle. She was probably the fastest on the team. She zipped around and passed the quaffle off to Annie, but one of the Ravenclaw chasers punched it out of her grasp. The three chasers clad in blue set up for a play, and they began to advance the goal posts.

They tossed the quaffle around for a bit, then one of them shot for the highest hoop. I easily flew up and stopped the shot. "You all are going to have to try harder than that," I said with a wry smile. I threw the quaffle back to Andrew, and he took it back up the field.

He and Annie weaved in and out of the Ravenclaw players, passing the quaffle back and forth. That was the advantage of having twins on the team; their teamwork was incredible. As they got closer to the goal posts, something started to fly at Annie- a bludger. I held my breath, hoping she would outrun the thing. Then, at the last second, James and Jordan swooped in and beat it away. _Always dramatic, those two_, I thought to myself_._ The action startled the other Keeper, and Annie was able to score.

"Ten points to GRYFFINDOR!" Luke shouted across the stadium. "That bludger had me worried, folks. But it didn't stand a chance to the Gryffindor Beaters!"

There was no denying, our team was a well-oiled machine. As long as we kept this up, we would win for sure.

After thirty minutes, we had scored five other times, and Ravenclaw had only scored twice. (Okay, so I'm not the perfect Keeper, but who is?) I was surprised that no one had been taken out yet; James and Jordan were deadly with their aim. Lily was zipping around the stadium with the quaffle when I looked up and saw Albus flash by.

The Ravenclaw Seeker was right behind him. They must have just seen the Snitch, since they had been scanning the field until now. It looked like Albus was just about to grab it, but something caught my eye.

One of the Ravenclaw Beaters was rearing back to hit a bludger, and he was aiming straight for our Seeker.

"In your dreams," I muttered under my breath as I leaned against my broom and picked up speed.

Eyes slammed shut, I flew straight into the bludger. It hit my shoulder and threw me off my broom. As I was falling, though, I could hear Luke yelling over the crowd.

"WOOD INTERCEPTED THE BLUDGER, AND POTTER MADE THE CATCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

**Albus's POV**

"Wood did _what?"_ I muttered to myself, holding the Snitch in my hand. I looked around the pitch, and I saw everyone huddled on the ground.

_Charlotte._

I dove down to the ground and started running towards the mob surrounding our Keeper. _  
_

I pushed my way through the team to see her. She was out cold, but the bludger didn't seem to have hit her head. _Thank Merlin, _I thought. Head injuries were the worst.

Moments later, Mr. and Mrs. Wood pushed through the still growing crowd to their daughter. Her mother kneeled down and stroked Charlie's face.

"We need to get her to the Hospital Wing," Madam Pomfrey insisted. I hadn't even noticed her in the mob.

After getting Charlotte on a stretcher, we all headed to the infirmary. I hung back with the boys as Rose, Lily and the others walked with Charlie's parents.

"She saved the game!" James kept repeating in awe. "Charlie deserves an award. She's brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

I knew he was probably right, but I kind of hoped that she had taken the bludger for me.

When we reached the infirmary, Charlotte was placed gently on one of the hospital beds. Then we did all we could do- wait. We sat around the bed, paced; basically, we did anything to keep busy for a good hour. Then, Charlie finally stirred.

We all rushed over to the side of her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and slowly looked over all of us. A weak grin appeared, and her parents let out a sigh of relief.

"How about that, Dad?" she said to her father.

"I'd say you're giving me a run for my money," he laughed. Char tried to push herself up, but let out a yelp of pain.

"You had a nasty fall," Madam Pomfrey said as she walked over to the bed. "I've already mended your fractured wrists, but they need time to set. I'm afraid you'll have to stay the night, Mrs. Wood." Charlie let out a sigh of disappointment, but her mother looked almost relieved.

"It's for the best, Charlie. This way you'll be ready for your next match," she encouraged.

"Quite right. Now, I must ask you all to leave her alone to rest," Madam Pomfrey said, shooing us all out.

**Charlotte's POV**

My entire body ached, but my shoulder felt like it was going to fall off. I hadn't been hit that hard by a bludger since my third year at Hogwarts. I had been sleeping most of the day, but when I was awake, I had company.

Rose, Cassie, Annie and Lils had been here almost the whole time, but Madam Pomfrey still sent them off at dinnertime. Now I was lonely.

Almost as soon as the thought left my mind, Albus burst through the infirmary doors. He marched over to my bed, obviously frustrated.

"Are you crazy?" he asked with huge eyes. "What were you thinking?"

His worried look made me melt. _He's concerned for _me_!_

"I wanted to win," I said with a smile. "Didn't you?"

Instead of giving me a cute reply, Albus looked more upset.

"You could have really gotten hurt! Why would you _do _that?" he asked again. I felt my eyebrows furrow into a frown.

"I told you, I wanted to win!" I said more seriously. I couldn't let him know the real reason… Not yet.

Instead of arguing more, Albus remained silent for a few moments to settle down.

"Right," he replied coldly. "Well, I guess we really owe you one. I hope you feel better," he said quietly as he left the Hospital Wing.

**Albus's POV**

_I must be out of my mind, _I thought sadly as I left the infirmary.

_She wouldn't take a bludger for me. _


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow! That was fast! Haha, I'm sure you all like that! I apologize for the long break. I'm trying to update as much as I can now, since I won't be updating in November because of NaNoWriMo! If any of you are competing in NaNoWriMo this year, feel free to add me! My user name is liv5456. If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is... It's basically writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. Super fun! Anywho, I hope you like this chapter! Reviews are always appreciated! :)**

**Chapter Six**

"Looks like your wrists are as good as new," Madam Pomfrey told me as I bent my hands back and forth. "You are free to go, Ms. Wood."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!" I replied cheerfully. I had stayed in the Hospital Wing over night, and I was definitely ready to get back on schedule. Thankfully, it was the weekend, so I didn't miss any notes. I had a whole day of freedom, so I quickly left the infirmary and sped through the twisting corridors of the castle.

I'm sure Rose and I could find something to do… Play a few games of Wizard's Chess, maybe prank some first years. I loved the crisp fall weather, so maybe we could do something outside. I couldn't wait till we could go to Hogsmede; my friends and I would go to Honeyduke's every day if they'd let us.

As I was thinking of things to do, my mind drifted to Albus. He acted so strangely yesterday… Hopefully he's gotten over it. I miss my cute, funny and playful Al. Maybe I could do something with him today!

When I walked into the common room, it was almost completely empty. That didn't surprise me, given the beautiful weather we had. I headed up to the girl's dorm, and I found Rose there waiting for me.

"So, you're all healed up, I assume?" She asked.

"You assume right. Where are all the others?" At first, all I'm answered with is a shrug.

"I suppose Cassie's with Andrew. No clue where Annie is, though."

"What about the boys?" I said. Rose rolled her eyes playfully.

"They're up to something around the dungeons. Pranking Slytherin, I expect." I perked up at this, thinking Albus was out of his mood. Sadly, it was short lived. "But they told me Albus was studying at the lake. He seemed a little… off."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too," I sighed. Boys were so confusing.

"_You _wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that, would you?" she asked me suspiciously. If anyone else had asked, I wouldn't let anything out, but this was Rosie.

"When he came to the Hospital Wing, he seemed angry at me for taking the bludger. I saved his life, didn't I?" I reply a little forcefully. Rose let out an annoyed sigh.

"Char, he wasn't mad. He was just worried. Which, by the way, is a very good sign for _you_," She said with a bit of a grin. "Albus hated seeing you hurt. Even worse, he probably feels terrible that you got hurt at his expense."

"Well how does he think _I _would feel if _he _got hurt?" I replied. Rose just looked at me sympathetically.

"He wouldn't know. He doesn't know how you feel, Charlotte," she said honestly. "I think you need to talk to him."

She was right… I needed to talk to Albus.

"Well, I guess I'm heading down to the lake," I sighed, and Rose gave an encouraging smile.

"You'll thank me later!" she said happily. "You'd better go quickly, though. I don't know how much longer he'll be down there."

"Alright. I guess I'll see you at dinner, then?" I asked. Rose nodded brightly.

"See you later!" she replied with a wink.

It looked like I was going to get to spend time with Albus after all.

* * *

As soon as I walked out of the castle onto the grounds, I could see him sitting by the Black Lake. There was a slight breeze, and I could smell fall in the air.

It didn't take long for me to reach Albus. As I approached him, my stomach began to flutter with nerves. _Calm down, Charlie, _I told myself. _He's easy to talk to; he's your friend. _He had a book in his lap, but his eyes were wandering across the lake. I sat by him quietly, but he didn't even acknowledge me. What was going on?

"Hey," I said gently. The only response I get is a small nod.

"Alright, what's wrong?" I asked, cutting straight to the question.

"Nothing, Charlotte," he replied dully. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Well I know _that's _not true. You aren't being your funny, great self. Come on, Albus, you can talk to me!" I pleaded. He just shook his head.

"Charlie, you're mad. There's nothing wrong. Now if you'll excuse me, I should be going. The guys probably need my help down in the dungeons," he said with a weak smile, as he rose from the ground. I was dumbfounded.

"So you're just going to keep me in the dark?" I urged. Why was he being like this?

"See you around, Charlotte," he said as he turned around and walked back to the castle. I just sat there, astonished. My only other option was to go talk to James… maybe he knew what was going on.

After asking around and walking all the way to the Quidditch Pitch, I found James. He and Jordan were just finishing up a work out, so I caught him as he was leaving the locker room.

"James, I need to talk to you," I said sternly, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "It's Albus."

"Ah," he said in realization. "I was wondering when you would come asking questions."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, me and Alby have been chatting recently," James said slyly.

"He's your brother," I replied in an annoyed tone. He ignored my statement and continued on.

"Now, I've noticed him taking a fancy to you all term." At this, I can feel my face heat up a bit. "He's even talked to me about it."

"Alright, keep going."

"He really thought you fancied him, too. That is, until last night." My heart plummeted into my stomach.

"And _what _happened last night?" I asked urgently.

"Well, after we all left the Hospital Wing, he got up the guts to ask about you. He asked if I thought you fancied him back. And of course, I said you didn't like him at all. Not in that way, at least." I was trying so hard to hold my tongue. Right now, I wanted to sock James in the stomach, but I couldn't tell him the truth. He would tell Al, and Al needed to hear it from _me. _"So then he got all frustrated at me, telling me I was wrong. He said you took that bludger for _him_, but I told him he was barking. You took one for the team!"

Everything was falling into place, now. "That must have been when Albus came back to the Hospital Wing," I said absentmindedly.

"You got it. He said he was going to prove me wrong, but I had it right the whole time! Ever since then, he's been in this mood. He better get over it soon, though, cause we need him to focus in practice!" James said in all seriousness. I tuned him out, though.

"Thanks, James," I replied distractedly. I had to talk to Albus, _now._

* * *

"So? Did you talk to him?" Rose asked from across the Gryffindor table.

"Yes, but I have to talk to him after dinner. I talked to James, and do you know what he did last night?" Rosie shrugged, waiting for the answer. "He convinced Albus that I didn't like him at all."

Her eyes grew big, and I could tell she was angry. "That idiot," she said under her breath.

"I'm going to tell him everything tonight," I said confidently. "I don't really have a choice."

For the rest of dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about what I was going to say. I had one shot, so I had to do this right. Before I knew it, our plates were vanishing, and we all were getting up to leave.

"You can do this," Rose encouraged. I nodded confidently, but I felt like a Jelly Legs Jinx had hit me.

We all started moving out of the Great Hall, and then I saw Albus. Ignoring my prominent nerves, I quickly ran up to him and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" He asked in a startled tone as I began dragging him through the crowd of students.

"We have to talk," I replied shortly. He had nothing else to say, so I continued pulling him through the mobs. The people started to thin out, and we were eventually alone in one of the vacant corridors. I randomly opened one of the classroom doors and pushed Albus inside.

"Alright," I said as I closed the door behind us. The room was only lit by long stretches of moonlight coming through the windows.

"What was _that _about?" he asked slowly. I ignored him and cut straight to the chase.

"I talked to James," I blurted. After a few moments of silence, Albus let out a groan and looked up at the ceiling. He paused for a long time before responding.

"Look, I don't want this to make things awkward. We can just pretend it never happened," Albus started in a hurt tone.

"But James didn't know what he was talking about," I let out. My heart was going a mile a minute.

"Charlotte, it's okay. You don't have to try to make me feel better," Albus said coldly.

"But you don't understand, Albus," I replied. I could feel the desperation in my voice increasing.

"There isn't anything _to_ understand! You took that bludger so we could win, and that's all! It's already hurting me enough as it is, Char, so do we have to keep talking about it?" Albus said, his volume increasing. Our faces were inches apart, and his expression made me want to cry.

"Just _listen _to me!" I yelled at him. I was almost in tears.

"What's the _point_-" Albus began to shout. But then I did something crazy.

Without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed him. I could feel Albus jump in surprise, and for a split second I thought he was going to pull away. Instead, he slowly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in closer to him. I put my arms around his neck and ran my fingers through his dark brown hair, just how I had wanted to so many times before. I could hardly identify all of the feelings rushing through my body right now.

Albus slowly pulled away, but kept me encased in his arms. The sheepish grin on his face was incredible. What am I saying; _he_ was incredible.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," Albus said bluntly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I apologized. He just squeezed me tighter.

"I would have waited forever on you, Charlotte Wood," he breathed into my ear.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It's a strange thing, having thousands of emotions running over you at once. I'm surprised my legs didn't collapse from under me; I didn't know whether to laugh or cry (or both). I was so relieved that my body _did_ almost go limp in Albus's arms. That wouldn't have been a problem, necessarily, but I managed to hold myself up. On top of my sheer relief was a feeling of shock. Not a bad kind of shock, though; it was a kind of shock that encompassed all of my happiness, excitement, and unbelief into one, strange emotion. My face must have been priceless.

Not that Albus would have cared. I don't even think he noticed, actually. We sat in the floor of that classroom for at least another hour, Albus sitting against the wall and I against his chest. It was almost too good to be true. His chin rested on my head and his arms wrapped around my waist; I had probably pictured this a thousand times in my head. None of my fantasies could have compared to this moment. For the most part, we didn't even talk. We were both still processing the reality of it all. My arms rested on top of his, and we just sat there.

I could feel his heart racing. No doubt he could feel mine, too. I mindlessly played with his fingers as my mind whirred.

_This is really happening, _I kept telling myself. _He's finally yours. _All at once, a million images ran through my head. I saw us walking hand in hand through Hogsmeade; sitting at a picnic by the Black Lake. Sneaking through the castle past hours… Which, technically, we were doing right now.

My daydreams were then rudely interrupted by another thought.

"I guess James won't be too fond of this on the Quidditch pitch," I said, reluctantly breaking our content silence.

"James can think what he wants," Albus said lowly in my ear. "He can kick me off the team, for all I care. As long as I have you, I wouldn't care if I didn't get on a broom again."

I couldn't stop smiling. We didn't talk anymore; we just enjoyed each other's company. I don't know how long we stayed there. We could only tell that time was changing by the moonlight stretching further across the floor.

We might have stayed there all night if it wasn't for the quiet _clank_ of metal outside. I felt Albus tense up.

"Oh, perfect," I huffed in an annoyed tone. I could identify that sound anywhere. "Filch has started his rounds." I looked up at Albus and saw a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Well I guess we had better outrun him," he said wryly. "Come on."

I got up slowly, trying to be as silent as possible. If Filch caught us… I didn't even want to think about it. Albus hopped up spryly and grabbed my hand. Without another word, he led me out of the classroom and into the dark corridor.

We couldn't see Filch, but the eerie sound of his ancient lantern still haunted the halls. There was no way to tell where it was coming from. Albus darted down the corridor in the direction of Gryffindor tower, tugging me along like a dog on a leash. I willingly followed, not really knowing or caring where we ended up.

Albus stopped abruptly, pulling me close to him against the wall. I thought he was going to kiss me again, but he pointed silently around the corner. I could see the glow of Filch's lantern. I looked up at Albus nervously; he put a finger up to his lips, signaling me to be quiet. I held my breath and hoped for the best.

The clanking stopped and the light remained where it was. I clung to Albus's arm desperately. For a moment, I thought we had been caught. Then, as if perfectly on queue, we heard a stack of books tumble over in some classroom opposite our direction. The crash was followed by a devilish cackle.

"That blasted ghoul," We heard Filch mutter murderously. He began clomping in the other direction, mindlessly rambling about all of the ways he would torture Peeves- that is, if it were possible to physically punish a poltergeist.

I let out a sigh of relief. At least we had Peeves on our side. "That was a bit close, don't you think?" I whispered with a bit of a laugh.

"Oh, that was nothing," Albus said mischeviously. It made me curious about what other close encounters he and his friends had had with Filch. "Come on."

Our trek across the castle resumed. We sneaked past prefects and ghosts alike; Nearly Headless Nick apparently spotted us hand in hand, but all we heard him say was "It's about time."

We stopped just outside the Common Room. The Fat Lady was starting to nod off. Albus looked down at me, studying my face as if he still didn't believe it. He slowly pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I felt like I was going to burst with happiness. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, burying my face in his sweater. He hugged me back and kissed me gently on the head.

"You two," The Fat Lady slurred. She was obviously coming in and out of consciousness. "Inside."

She must have been really tired, because the frame just swung open without the password. We walked quietly into the Common Room. I was expecting my friends to be waiting at the door for us, but I was wrong. There wasn't a soul in there.

"Goodnight, then," I whispered. I quickly kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight," he replied, grinning sheepishly. We both hesitated a second, not wanting to walk away. "See you in the morning."

"See you," I replied. Though I wanted to stay there all night, I turned and walked to the girls' dormitory. I looked back when I reached the door, and Albus was still there with his content grin, watching me. I smiled back as I slipped through the door.

I tried to shut the door quietly, as the lights were off and my friends asleep. To my honest surprise, they actually _were_ asleep. Everyone except for Rose, that is. She was sitting on her bed, knees pulled against her chest like a small child. She had been waiting for me. Rosie didn't squeal when I walked in; she didn't scream like the others would. She was simply beaming. I tiptoed to my bed next to hers, trying to stifle my own grin.

"Muffliato," she whispered quietly, just in case the others woke up. "Well?"

"Oh Rosie, you will never _believe_ all that's happened," I breathed dreamily, falling back onto my bed. I sat there and told her everything, from the shouting, to the kissing, to the running around the castle like rogues. She listened to it as if she were listening to a bedtime story- a fairy tale. No interruptions, except for an occasional sigh or a "Did he really?". When I finished, she had surreal look on her face.

"You'd better not take any of this for granted. This is something special," she said, smiling in an almost I-told-you-so manner. "The rest of them are going to be on your case in the morning." Rose nodded towards the other girls, who were all fast asleep.

"I guess it's all part of it, though," I sighed happily.

"Are you going to tell them?"

"Might as well. Who knows what kind of stories they'll invent if I don't tell them the truth."

"Good point," Rose said, pulling her covers up around her face. "I'm so happy for you, Charlotte. I'd wish you sweet dreams, but you'll have them anyway."

"Good night," I replied with a laugh.

Once again, I was reminded of how great of a best friend Rose really was.


End file.
